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(Jack's cabin, 2010 A.D.)
Paul stood hidden just inside the cabin and listened while Sam and Jack talked about the Aschen and felt his throat go dry. Part of him wanted to go outside and tell her to leave and never come back, but he'd known as soon as she'd arrived that it was already too late.
Jack made a wisecrack about getting a dog then he got bitchy and told Sam to go ask her 'ambassador husband' for help and watched her walk away. Years after he'd tried to warn everyone about the Aschen, Jack was still bitter that no one had listened, but more than that, he still felt betrayed by those who'd been his closest friends. In the end, the only one who'd listened to him was the man now coming out of their home to join him.
"She's right, you know. They stand a better chance with your help," Paul commented.
"Thanks for the analysis colonel," Jack said with heavy sarcasm in his voice.
"She's gone. You can drop the 'horse's ass' routine."
"Right," Jack mumbled then he took Paul's hand and drew him near. "Do you think this is why they killed Hammond?"
Paul took a deep swallow at the mention the late general whom he'd worked side by side with during the first years of Earth's alliance with the Aschen. Paul had never completely trusted the so-called 'saviors of humanity' and after Hammond's sudden death under suspicious circumstances, Paul didn't trust them at all.
He'd spent the bulk of his free time over the six years since then trying to figure out who had murdered Hammond, and more importantly what they were covering up. Paul felt a chill run down his spine as he considered the possibility that the plot that Sam and the others had uncovered could very well have been what Hammond had discovered all those years ago.
"I'm going with you," Paul stated, knowing that Jack would be leaving no matter what he'd told Sam.
Jack placed his hands on Paul's shoulders and gently rubbed them and gazed into his eyes. Ten years earlier when the shit had hit the fan and Jack had been hung out to dry, Paul had been there. Three days after Jack had retired and had retreated to his fishing cabin; Paul had tracked him down and had offered him a listening ear for as long as he wanted one.
After a few days, Jack had taken Paul off of the sofa and into his bed for the first time and the two had been together ever since. They'd had a lot of good times over the years and when Paul had been promoted to colonel, Jack had actually emerged from his self-imposed exile to travel to Washington for the ceremony.
All in all, Jack could honestly say that he had no regrets when it came to Paul, and as he gazed into his gorgeous green eyes Jack decided that he wasn't about to do something to change that now.
"No. You stay here in case we don't get through," Jack ordered. "Somebody will need to look after the cabin. You know how awful the brush gets around here if it's left to grow wild," he quipped.
Paul smiled despite himself. He already divided his time between 'looking after' Jack's house in Colorado, and sharing the cabin with him in Minnesota.
"I know," Paul sighed then he returned to the serious matter at hand. "Send me everything you've got before you make your run for the gate. If you don't make it, I'll put a team together to try again once things cool down."
"Right," Jack nodded.
"Right," Paul agreed.
"If we succeed...." Jack drifted off.
"We'll still get together," Paul stated in full confidence.
Jack gave him a look of surprise.
"How can you be so sure? The last ten years will never have happened."
Paul smiled and caressed Jack's cheek.
"Because I loved you before we ever met the Aschen. Trust me. No matter how the timeline changes, I know that I'll be there for you. I would never let you end up all alone," Paul whispered then he drew Jack in for a deep, passionate kiss.
After a bit, Paul broke away and gave Jack a sly grin.
"You don't have to leave right away...let's not waste the little time we have left."
"Yes sir, colonel," Jack teased then he followed Paul into the cabin and down onto the bed.
~ ~ ~
A few days later, Paul was sitting on the sofa reading a book when he heard the tone sound on his laptop indicating that he had incoming mail. He put the book down and opened the email, being sure to secure the encrypted attachment on a separate disc then he took a deep breath and scrolled down to read the text...'Thanks for ten great years...let's do it all over again.'
"You too," Paul whispered with a smile then he turned on the TV to monitor the news, just in case.
Roughly one hour later, the world that Paul knew ceased to exist.
~ ~ ~
(Jack's house, 2000 A.D.)
Jack was just entering the kitchen from the deck to retrieve a nice, cold beer when he heard the doorbell ring.
"Coming!" he called out then he sat his hotdog down on the counter and went to answer the door.
"Colonel O'Neill," Paul addressed him as the door opened. "I hope I haven't come by at a bad time."
Jack smiled and waved him inside.
"No...now's good major. Come on in," he said stepping back. "Get you a beer?" he offered.
"Yes sir. Thank you," Paul responded.
"Drop the sir. Call me Jack," he replied. "We're off-duty...I can tell...neither of us is in uniform," he winked.
"Right," Paul nervously agreed then he followed Jack into the kitchen.
"You hungry? I've got extra hotdogs on the grill," Jack offered as he handed Paul a beer.
"No...thanks," Paul answered then he took the bottle and immediately downed a good, long swallow.
Jack took a swig of his beer as well and watched Paul over the top of the bottle as the younger man leaned back against the counter dressed in a leather jacket, black t-shirt and the tightest blue jeans that Jack had seen in years.
"How are the negotiations going?" Jack inquired.
"They're fine. We're right on schedule for a change. We'll be meeting again at 09:00."
"Good," Jack nodded. "So what brings you here, Davis?" he asked then he saw something familiar in the younger man's eyes. "Or should I call you Paul?" he added with a nudge.
"I read the report about P4C-970," Paul quietly began.
"Ah...yes. The planet I told myself not to go to under any circumstance," Jack responded, referring to the note they'd received through the Stargate two weeks earlier.
Apparently, the note had been written by Jack and sent as a warning from some future time, or at least that was the best theory that anyone had come up with so far. As a precaution, the planet had been labeled as 'off limits' and SG-1's originally planned mission to the planet had been scrubbed.
"It got me thinking about time and how precious little we have and how we shouldn't waste it," Paul continued.
Jack looked more closely at Paul's eyes and noticed that they had darkened to a gorgeous emerald green then he quickly shifted his focus to the floor to keep himself under control.
"If you came to talk philosophy, you'd be better off going to see Daniel," Jack said as he raised his bottle for another swig.
"I don't want Daniel. I want you," Paul blurted out then he held his breath as he pictured his entire career going down in flames.
Paul's words caught Jack in mid swallow and he nearly choked.
"Wha...what?" Jack stammered as he recovered.
Paul glanced over at Jack, who was leaning back against the opposite counter and decided to go for broke. He put down his beer then he closed the gap between them and placed his hands on Jack's shoulders and gazed into his dreamy brown eyes.
"I want us to be together, Jack," he whispered. "Every time you walk through the Stargate, there's a chance that you might not come back. I don't know how much time we might be able to have together, but I *do* know that I don't want to waste any of it."
Jack carefully reached back and put his beer down on the counter, but otherwise remained unmoved, his eyes locked with Paul's. After a painfully long moment, he cleared his throat and broke the silence.
"I can be a royal pain in the ass, Paul," Jack warned, giving him a chance to reconsider.
"I know," Paul grinned as he gently squeezed the older man's shoulders.
"Right...so are you gonna kiss me or give me a shoulder rub?" Jack smirked then his expression grew serious and his lips parted slightly in anticipation.
Paul felt his heart racing as his long time dream was coming true then he saw Jack's eyes rapidly darkening with passion and was almost dizzy from the rush.
"I'll rub you down later," Paul promised then he leaned in and brushed their lips together and Jack opened for him and they kissed for a long while, slowly exploring the new territory of each other's mouth.
Finally, Paul broke off and started to move back, but Jack slipped his hands around his waist and refused to let him get away.
"Where you goin'?" Jack asked.
"I was thinking that maybe we should take a break and talk some more," Paul responded.
"We'll talk more later. For now let's make the most of our precious time," Jack winked.
"Yes sir, colonel," Paul teased then he followed Jack back to his bedroom and down onto his bed.
FIN